I am a "pariah" as a middle-aged white male, Christopher Eccleston has said, as he reveals his acting work is drying up.

       The actor, best known for reviving the role of Doctor Who, starred in successful films and series earlier in his career, including Jude the Obscure and Our Friends in the North.

       But the British star now feels like a “failure” for being unable to secure similar work.

       Eccleston has said that his age, sex and skin colour have now made him a “pariah” in the entertainment industry, leaving his career plagued by uncertainty.

       “I'm white, I'm middle-aged, I'm male, and I'm straight,” said the 58-year-old actor. “We are the new pariah in the industry.

       "We are all seen through the lens of Harvey Weinstein et al. And I can feel that the opportunities are shrinking, as they should do.

       "I've lived off the fat of the land for 30 years of my career, but I still have to pay my mortgage, I still have to support my kids, so I don't welcome the uncertainty at all.”

       Eccleston has long advocated for innovation in entertainment, including pushing for a female influence on Doctor Who. While he has not welcomed his career struggles, he has said that he is “quite rightly” considered a “dinosaur”.

       Speaking on BBC 5 Live, the actor revealed that despite being a better actor than he was when he was younger, he is now taking roles for the benefit of his family, rather than the artistic advancement of his career.

       Eccleston said: "I feel like a failure. That's how I feel. I was thinking about it only yesterday.

       "In the 90s, I had two incredible film roles - Jude in Jude the Obscure, and Derek Bentley in Let Him Have It.

       “Now Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman had similar opportunities, similar roles a few years before in Prick up your Ears, Sid and Nancy and My Beautiful Laundrette and they just went bang.

       "Those were my chances to really hit and have far more influence and far more control over the kind of stuff that I did.”

       Eccleston is nevertheless returning to BBC Two on Friday night in My Name Is Leon, based on the novel of the same name by Kit de Waal. The story follows the story of a mixed-race child who is separated from his younger, white half-brother in the care system.